


Pressed

by bonkobarnes



Series: Words Aren’t Enough [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Adoption, Avengers Family, Established Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, High School Student Peter Parker, Irondad, Journalism, M/M, Parent Tony Stark, Precious Peter Parker, Press and Tabloids, Protective Steve Rogers, Protective Tony Stark, Squabbling, Steve Rogers Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Stony - Freeform, Superfamily (Marvel), Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, spiderson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-09-19 00:56:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20322433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bonkobarnes/pseuds/bonkobarnes
Summary: Please read Actions Speak Louder before this one, as it will make way more sense.Tony brings up the issue of introducing Peter to the press to Steve, and they get into a disagreement about it. This one-off of Actions Speak Louder is mainly focused on Steve and Tony :)





	1. prologue

**Author's Note:**

> omgggg hey everyone!!!! i'm back! i couldn't let my babies go, so here i am, writing a small add on fic. if you're new here, please read the first fic in the series before this one, so you understand the how the plot and characters have developed. otherwise, enjoy!! this work will likely be 2 - 3 chapters, and i will try to update weekly. thanks for reading, and if you enjoy, pretty please leave a comment!!!! i appreciate them so much :)
> 
> this first chapter is just a super short one, i wanted to post something even if it was tiny, so consider it a prologue of sorts. hope you like it :)

It was August 27th and the start of Peter's junior year of high school at Midtown was rapidly closing in. Steve and Peter had only grown closer since he had moved in, and Tony couldn't be happier seeing them get along so well.

Peter had done exceptionally well with Steve's art lessons and happened to have a natural ability to freehand, which made Steve walk around with a puffed up chest, bragging to Tony about it any chance he got for a few days. Peter was still patrolling as often as he could because he was "trying to stock up before he had no more time in school."

The rest of Peter's summer had been progressing smoothly, and everyone in the Stark household was adjusting very well to the unusual and abrupt circumstances they were thrown into only a few months prior.

However, school was approaching and there was a massive item of business that needed to be addressed. Tony had held off even thinking about it because it brought him too much stress and irritation, but they were running out of time.

Peter Benjamin Parker Stark had yet to be introduced to the public as Tony Stark's recently adopted son.

Tony knew that the press conference was inevitable and he dreaded it. There were a lot of reasons Tony knew he had to expose Peter to the media, but most of them could be overlooked.

The main reason, and most compelling, was that if Peter went to school with a new last name with zero explanation, hellfire would rain down on _them all._ Peter would be relentlessly bullied and questioned because Tony was aware that he _already_ dealt with being picked on, let alone showing up to junior year with a famous last name out of no where.

Stupid high schoolers were relentless in their curiosity, chance for gossip, and in their bullying. Tony knew that if Peter was thrown into it with no warning, and no adjustment period, he would be scavenged and eaten by the hungry and hormonal wolves.

Besides his school being the first to know, and the media having the full capacity to swing the story however which way they decided if they were not properly bribed and shut up, Tony was worried for Peter.

This was definitely not going to be a pleasant or exciting experience for the boy. Tony had grown up in the public eye, and had been scrutinized at every angle for the entirety of his adolescent and adult life. Peter, however, was in for an awful shock and change to lifestyle.

Once Peter's name was associated with Stark, there would be endless slander and mockery of the boy no matter what, even if the kid was an absolute saint who did nothing wrong. The media would always find a way to twist the truth to make it ugly, and Tony was worried for the names they would call his kind son.

Peter was a very sensitive kid. Tony knew that the moment he met him. He was sure that Peter would find terrible things about him on social media and online, and that was something that scared Tony the most.

The internet was a cruel, cruel place for even the most perfect of people. For Peter's safety and for his mental health, Tony had decided that the best action to take on that end was to make all of the kid's social media very private. And he knew to never post any photos of Peter on any of his own accounts.

Peter would still get incessant and pestering DM's and messages at every turn, but there were ways to filter those, and Tony would be sure to check the kid's apps to control the unwanted hate he was bound to receive, _simply for adopting the last name Stark_.

Try as he might to think of another solution, there was no way to avoid what had to be done. When you happened to be a genius playboy billionaire philanthropist, the constant public exposure was customary.

Fortunately, Tony had been able to keep all of the adoption and move-in processes extremely hush hush. The only way to do this right, Tony knew from experience, was to get ahead of the journalism.

If they held a press conference, with a small number of hand-picked journalists and publishers to tell the story how _they _wanted it told, then there would be minimal damage. Tony could have everybody _everywhere _sign the most airtight non-disclosure agreements ever written, and the only word on the street would be his own.

Well, there were bound to be trashy newspaper articles calling Peter his illegitimate bastard son, and whatever other horseshit they came up with, but what mattered was the big magazines and news publishers, and those would be in Pepper's capable hands.

She was always best at knowing who to call in and who to leave behind, due to her excellent character judgment and incredible discernment. Tony would leave it up to her to pick the right journalists for the meeting.

He had been thinking about this issue for a couple of nights now and knew he had to speak to both Steve and Peter about it. The kid has remained blissfully unaware of the tumultuous ride that laid ahead of him, and Tony was reluctant to burst the bubble.

He knew though, that if he was being realistic, he only had a little over a week to get the entire thing orchestrated and done with to leave enough wiggle room in between the blow-up of the press and Peter's first day of school. He started on the 16th of September, which gave Tony around three weeks to execute his plan.

But again, he was jumping ahead of himself. He sipped on his hot coffee at the kitchen table, enjoying the silence of the morning to come up with a plan to tell Peter. Steve has woken up at 5:30 to get ready for his run and Tony just couldn’t fall back asleep once he had woken. Now it was 6 am, and Steve was out on his run. He probably wouldn't be back for another half hour, and it was likely Peter wouldn't be awake for another three hours at the least.

He had enough time to think of a way to bring it up to Peter, then. But . . . maybe it was better to talk to Steve about it first. Steve was always amazing at giving Tony advice and somehow always knew how to handle delicate situations with Peter.

Tony would always be envious of the way it came so naturally to him. He had always struggled with being soft spoken in sensitive situations and was always afraid to say the wrong thing around Peter. But his Stevie always knew what to say. Tony figured it came with his intensely close relationship with Bucky growing up.

He got the feeling the two of them naturally had a lot of consoling and comforting to do, and Steve has learned how to get pretty good at it. He was always so clear-headed and direct about his advice, but would deliver it in such a soft and calming manner. It was an amazing skill to have. 

Tony decided it would be best to wait for his partner to come home from his run first, discuss it with him, and then he would confront the unsuspecting teenager about the sticky situation they were in.


	2. it's hard when we argue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve shares some gossip and starts a fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woooo! sorry these chapters are going to continue to be fairly short, because i'm writing in small increments of time that i can find and just want to post this story as fast as i can so i can move on to the next in the series! anyway, enjoy babies!
> 
> the chapter title is taken from a harry styles song, sweet creature. love my dad and his beautiful music :')

The elevator dinged with Steve's arrival and he walked past the living room and to the kitchen table in hopes of finding Tony there. Sure enough, he found the predictable man sipping a mug of coffee, scrolling through a Starkpad. He walked up behind his chair.

"Hey doll," Steve smiled in response to Tony's snap out of focus and leaned down to kiss his temple. Steve took a seat next to him and sighed with the delicious ache of his joints.

"Oh, I didn't hear you come in. How was your run?" He set down the Starkpad to pay attention to Steve.

"It was good, Sam came along this time, it was good to see him." Steve smiled a little.

"Oh yeah, how is Sam? Haven't heard from him in a while actually," Tony frowned a bit as he thought about the absence in contact but shrugged it off.

"He's good, yeah he's - well actually, Tony you'll never believe this," Steve leaned forward and almost looked like an eager schoolgirl about to share some juicy gossip. Tony responded with a quizzical look and a nod to continue.

"My God, I never would have thought! So Sam has been seeing someone and just _guess_ who it is," he paused for emphasis and when Tony raised his eyebrows in questioning, Steve said, "Bucky!" His eyebrows shot up in surprise even as he was telling Tony as he couldn't believe the news.

Tony's mouth dropped open in shock. "Falcon and Bucky?? Oh my god, how long has this been going on?!"

Steve nodded emphatically. "Yeah! Yeah, crazy, right?! They've only been on two dates, but Sam was blushin' real hard when he was telling me about it, and I think they both have it bad for each other! After the run, I went to Bucky's and talked to him about it, and he seemed really serious about it too."

"Wow, that's - a surprise, for sure. I mean I guess no one would have thought _we_ would get together, but here we are so - I guess stranger things have happened? Huh." Tony laughed a little at the bizarre nature of the Avengers dynamics.

"This definitely makes things a bit more interesting then," Tony chuckled again and shook his head.

"Yeah, sure does." Steve let out a small huff of laughter and looked to the table. The two men fell silent and Steve grabbed Tony's hand and squeezed. "Well, I'm gonna go shower, I'll be out in a bit."

"Wait, before I forget, I need to talk to you about Peter. Can you wait to shower?" Tony pulled his arm closer as he moved to get up.

"Oh yeah, sure. What's goin' on with Pete?" Steve sat back down.

"So his school starts on the 16th of September, and he's going to be going in with a new last name, that will definitely raise questions. We've got to do a press conference, introducing him to the media as my adopted son, before he goes to school and those kids find out on their own and make up their own stories. I just wanted to ask you for your advice on how to approach Pete about it."

"Whoa, wait. You want to hold an entire press conference just to introduce Peter to the media? Shit, that - I don't know about that, Tony."

"What do you mean you don't know about that? It's what we have to do, there's no other way to go about this. Trust me, I'm sort of an expert on this." Tony gave Steve a calculating look.

"I'm not discounting your experience with the press, but Tony, there has to be a better way. Peter should _not_ have to deal with the stress of paparazzi and the journalists following his every move, he's 16 for God's sake! He's in high school! Can't we talk about this? Figure out another way?" Steve waved his hands around as he spoke.

"What is there to talk about? You don't think I want to protect him from the sharks of the press? But there's nothing else we can do! Steve, if we let Peter go to school with the new last name, and we don't release the story beforehand, not only will the students at Midtown eat him alive, but it will make its way to the press regardless, and they'll just spin the story however they want to! And let me tell you, they will not make the story a cute one. It will blow up, I can see the headlines now, 'Tony Stark Takes in Illegitimate Son'. This will be an absolute trainwreck if we don't get ahead of the press. We have to be first, that's the way it works."

"No, I refuse to believe that's how it has to go, Tony! You're just accepting defeat! Peter is young, he should not have to deal with nasty news articles and social media posts about him, _he's a boy, Tony_. Peter is not only just a kid, but he's also Spiderman! If people see Spiderman swinging out of Stark tower, what the hell do you think they'll think? No one has noticed this summer because no one has any need to pay attention, and if anyone has noticed, they probably think he's staying at the tower for the summer. But the minute you release a public article about who Peter is and where he's living, all eyes will be on the tower. And if they pay closer attention, they would notice that he's coming from the _penthouse floor_. Not only would this ruin Peter's privacy, it would ruin his secret identity!" Steve was heaving and slowly but surely raising his voice.

"That is exactly why we need to do this the right way! I have experience with this, Steve, we would have as many NDAs sent out as humanly possible! We would flood the school with them, and everything. And _that_, would give Peter the privacy he deserves! I know how to make sure that no one leaks any information about Peter or his school. And about Spiderman leaving the tower, we will talk to Peter about finding a new place or going to the street to change, but either way, I've done this a million times! Why do you think you know better than me?!" Tony's voice had risen in pitch and he was now actively yelling at Steve.

"Maybe because there are thousands upon thousands of articles about you that completely discredit who you are and disparage your name! Maybe because you claim to be able to protect Peter from the media, but you haven't even been able to protect yourself! It's better if he stays off the radar! Better for Peter Stark, _and_ better for Spiderman!" Steve's face had turned red with the exertion and anger.

"You know what? No, I'm not having this conversation. You're not fucking listening to me, Steve. He's _my_ kid. Not yours." Tony's words were scathing and Steve felt a stab to the chest. Tony pushed the chair away from the table and briskly walked away from him.

"Tony wait, I didn't mean -"

"No, Steve." His voice was final. He was out the door and Steve heard the ping of the elevator, telling him Tony was going down to the workshop. A heavy sigh escaped him and he ubbed his hands over his eyes. That was their first real fight as a couple, and it definitely had not gone well.


	3. we're both stubborn, i know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve spends his day thinking about their argument. The two men agree to attempt healthy communication.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this update took so long! i've had literally no time to write! anyway, this chapter was longer than i originally planned, so this mini fic will end up being 4 parts instead of 3! 
> 
> the chapter title is taken from the song sweet creature by harry styles. it is a continued lyric from last chapter, and the next chapter will finish the lyric. i really hope you enjoy this chapter!

Steve scrubbed at the soapy pan with his brush, trying hard to get the grease off. Washing the dishes that had begun to pile up had proven to help him work through his frustration, but what he really needed was a good run or boxing session.

At the same time, he didn't want to leave the penthouse. He wanted to be home when Peter came back and he was worried that Tony would come up when he was gone, and he would miss the opportunity to talk to him.

Tony hadn't come back up from the workshop since he stormed off that morning, and Steve had begun to think that he might not come up at all today. Steve was zoned out at the kitchen table for a few hours before Peter came in and announced he was going patrolling and then would spend some time with MJ.

Steve had absently granted him permission and once the kid had left, he decided it was time to move from his seat and do something to distract him from their argument. He showered and dressed, made himself lunch, called Bucky, then Nat, and then he started the dishes.

He sighed and put more effort into scrubbing the pan clean. Although he had been doing a fairly good job of distracting himself thus far throughout the day, the mindless action of scrubbing dishes led his thoughts back to Peter and the fight with Tony.

He regrets raising his voice at Tony and for implying that he wasn't doing a good job with Peter, he really shouldn't have said that. But he was having a very difficult time trying to understand how this was the only option for them.

Steve despised the things the press wrote about Tony. They wrote vile things about him and it seemed to Steve that Tony just let them write whatever they wanted. He couldn't care less about his reputation in the media, and while he knew it shouldn't let it bother him either, it did.

Steve couldn't help but grimace every time a news channel brought up Tony's name. It was always to blame him for something. They liked to blame everything that ever went wrong on Tony as if he wasn't just _one man_. It drove Steve crazy.

He had gotten so riled up about one particular talk show constantly dragging his name through the mud that he had almost broken the television with his fist. After that, Tony told him to stop watching those shows and to tune out the bad press.

And if Tony could do it, why couldn't Steve? It might have been the overwhelming sense of justice that had always been inside of him because he knew that the things they said about his boyfriend were far from the truth.

Tabloid magazines called him a playboy that was guaranteed to give you an STD if you ever got the chance. They called him a sex addict, they even dared to say he was abusive. It filled Steve with rage that there was a possibility that even one single person believed that about him.

Tony was a partier in his college years, sure, but who wasn't? He was one of the most caring lovers he has ever known. Granted, Steve had not known very many. But he knew the gentleness that Tony treated him with, and he knew the soft touches he was gifted. Tony was _no_ abuser, nor had he ever been.

Now, in the public eye, he simply loved to put on a show. He was a performer in that way. Tony said that since he had the playboy reputation when he was younger, he might as well keep it up. Steve had tried to understand why he did it when Tony explained to him, but it still didn't make sense.

Tony had explained to him once that it was easier to give the press what they want by acting like the douche they think he is because then he was always the one to take the heat. And he explained that it was okay because he could take it. He argued that he would rather the hate be on him than on Pepper, Fury, or on any of the Avengers.

Steve also believed it might also be because if the press were too busy talking about his fake mistakes, then they would be too busy to focus on his real ones. But that was a whole other problem he was dealing with.

The tabloids and articles loved to paint Tony as a selfish prick who could never find love. They said every choice he made was for the benefit of himself or his company. Steve hated this lie the most out of all of them.

What the media couldn't and _wouldn't_ see, because Tony refused to let them, was that he was the most selfless and self-sacrificial person he had ever met. He was _so _self-sacrificial in fact, that that same attribute had nearly been the death of him way too many times for Steve to feel good about it.

Even before they started dating, Steve could see how much work, time, and effort Tony put into making the Avengers as comfortable as possible. He was constantly working on new updates for everyone's suits and tech, and never asked for anything in return.

He offered up his entire tower for them to live in and use whenever they wanted, and eventually built the compound for them as well. Obviously decking it out with all kinds of upgrades and equipment that any of them would ever need.

Steve loved Tony's generous heart and knew how kind of a man he was. Which is why it hurt him so much to read and hear that the world hated him. They saw him as a pretentious, praise-seeking, mess of a man. Steve had been struggling with the bad news he heard about Tony, especially when they started dating.

Bringing up this argument about Peter had just woken up Steve's grief with the internet and how it had been treating Tony. He knew he had reacted poorly but it was such a sore subject for him, that the thought of Peter being thrown into the same tabloids as Tony just ripped his heart out.

Cooling down a bit, he realized that Tony did have way more experience with this than he did. And he wanted to believe that he knew how to handle this situation but running the risk of it going poorly just frightened him too much.

The two of them were already dealing with the shit people talked about Tony, but hearing those same awful things about Peter? Would tear Steve apart. He could _not_ let that happen to that boy.

He shook his head and scrubbed the plate in his hands even harder. There was no way Peter was doing a press conference in front of dozens of cameras and screaming journalists. No way. They would find a way to twist the story to paint Peter in a bad light or call the innocent kid terrible things.

He was willing to work out another solution with Tony, but there was no way he was going to let him flip the kid's entire life around like that. Things were bound to be different, sure. The kid was adopted by Tony Stark. But that didn't have to mean he needed to be exposed to the media like this either.

"Hey, Steve."

The plate in his hands clattered in the sink as Steve's eyes shot up to see Peter standing in the kitchen. "Peter! I didn't hear you come in," he cleared his throat and wiped his soapy hands on a nearby dishtowel.

"Yeah, I can tell," Peter snorted and swung his backpack onto a chair at the counter, sitting in the one next to it. "You usually aren't so easily spooked. What's got you so serious?" Peter jokingly mirrored Steve's frown to demonstrate his point.

"Nothing," he lied. Steve went back to washing the dishes to keep his gaze low and his hands busy.

Peter's eyes narrowed. "Come on, it's definitely something, what is it?" Peter ducked his head to try and make eye contact with Steve and wiggled his eyebrows teasingly. "Is it something with Dad?"

"No," he kept it short and continued to stare into the sink.

"Hmm, something about me?" Peter kept trying to catch his eyes but remained unsuccessful.

"No."

"Well, it's either about him or me, because you don't get out much. So which is it?"

Steve finally looked up to shoot the kid a glare. "This doesn't concern you, Peter."

"So it is about dad then!" Peter smiled triumphantly.

"That's not what I said," Steve's voice turned a little defensive.

"Aha! It's totally about dad." Peter's smile was smug. "So did you guys get into a fight or something?" He got up from his seat at the counter and opened the fridge to pull out a pear. He sat back down and began munching on the fruit.

Steve sighed and turned off the faucet. "Fine. We are sort of in a disagreement right now. But that's all you're getting out of me. We'll figure it out." His tone indicating that this was final. Steve internally willed his words to be true.

"Okay, okay," he lifted his hands in surrender. "Is he in the workshop? That's where he likes to hide when he's upset," he said with a mouth full of pear.

Steve smirked at Peter's muffled response and let out another sigh. "Yeah, I think that's where he went."

"Well, I hope you guys can fix it, whatever it is. I'm tired so I think I'm gonna head to my room and chill a bit before bed." Peter grabbed his bag from the chair and stood up, licking his sticky fingers clean.

"Hey wait, did you eat dinner?"

Peter stopped in the doorway and turned. "Oh, yeah MJ and I stopped for food."

"Okay good. Goodnight Peter." Steve gave him a soft smile.

"Night, Steve."

\---------------------------------------

It was nearing 3 am before Steve heard Tony come into their bedroom. Steve was on his side of the bed and remained turned away from him as he rustled around the room, preparing for bed. He was a bit surprised Tony had left his workshop at all.

He felt the dip of the bed and an arm snake around his waist.

"Stevie? You awake?" Tony whispered.

He remained silent for a while, contemplating faking sleep before deciding against it. He whispered back, "Yeah."

Tony's breath drew in and the hand around his waist slowly stroked up and down. "Can we - can we talk for a bit?"

Steve bit his lip and said, "Okay." He turned over to face Tony in the darkness and sat up against the headrest. Tony copied his actions, neither looking at the other.

"I - I didn't want to go to bed angry. I've done that before, you know, when Pepper and I dated way back when, we used to fight all the time and we never . . . we never talked about our fights. Then we would go to sleep angry and wake up angry, and things never got resolved. That's why we never really worked, you know?" Tony lifted his head to look at the shadow of Steve's face.

"Yeah, I understand. . . I've never been great at talking about my feelings, we didn't grow up doing that and - I haven't gotten used to it quite yet. But I agree, we should talk about how to fix this with Peter."

"Good, okay. Right then. I’m glad we’re on the same page,” he drew in a deep breath. “I want to say I'm - sorry for walking away like that. It was a bit . . . immature."

"No, it's okay I - I want to apologize for what I said about uh, you not being able to protect yourself. . You're doing an amazing job with Peter, and you need to know I think you're great for him." Steve wrung his hands together in his lap.

"I know," he said softly. He slowly took Steve's hand and squeezed it.

"So, the thing is. I've thought about it all day. And I just - can't think of a solution that doesn't involve a press conference that doesn’t end in total disaster. Every way I look at it, I come up with the same answer. He can't go to school as Peter Stark without questions being raised, right?" Tony kept his tone of voice light so he didn't seem like he was arguing.

"Yes, I agree with you there, Peter will be asked questions," Steve allowed.

"Right. And I don't see how he could answer them without being harrassed. Either he answers truthfully and no one believes him, because it is a very improbable story, and then he gets bullied for making up this story to seem cool, OR he comes up with a lie that explains his new last name, and people are suspicious because they already know about his internship with Stark Industries. And end up bullying him for it anyway. You following?"

"Okay," Steve says slowly. Steve's face fell and concern filled his voice. "So you don't think there's any possible way he could go to school without being bullied?"

"I think if we come out with a press conference, where I personally introduce him as my son, then there is a much slimmer chance of him getting bullied. Kids hunt anything that smells of popularity, and I am _very_ popular with kids. If they know they had a chance of getting to me through Peter, they are probably all going to try sucking up to the kid. Which will be a shock of its own, for sure, but at least won't be _entirely_ malicious."

Steve stayed quiet and thought over what Tony said with a frown. "But how do we know the publicists at the press conference won't spin the story and talk bad about Peter? I already have to deal with bullshit from the news about you, I couldn't handle it if they came for Pete too."

"That's why we have lawyers. We buy them out, we buy their stories, and we have them all sign massive non-disclosure agreements and legal documents. The majority of the internet will absolutely love Peter simply for who he is, but we'll make sure they don't say anything false about how this came about. Steve, please trust me on this. I don't want them talking bad about my kid, and I won't let them."

"I . . . I trust _you_, Tony, I just don't trust the press. How can we guarantee Peter won't get hate for this? I mean, don't you get thousands of hate comments on social media every single day? How can we protect him from that? Everyone in the world will know who he is. What if someday, to get to us, someone tries to take him away and use him as blackmail? Or what if someone finds out he's Spiderman and uses _that_ against us? I'm . . . I'm afraid for him, Tony. I just think that maybe there's another way to do this, without involving a press conference with Peter at the forefront, ambushed by greedy journalists."

Tony sighed and rubbed his thumb over Steve's knuckles. "It's - very messy. To say the least. I wish we could hide the kid away forever, but it's just not possible. Sooner or later the truth has to come out. But I think, if we put our heads together we can come up with a compromise. Something we can both agree sounds like the right thing to do, for Peter." He rested his head on Steve's shoulder.

"A compromise." Steve rested his head against Tony's and hummed. "I think we can figure something out. But for now, it's late and you've been working all day. Time to rest, doll." They both laid flat on the bed and cuddled up together, Tony as the little spoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i try to be realistic about the timeline of emotions and such, but it's so hard for me to keep my characters feeling angsty because they've all already been through hell and back and i just want them to be happy :'(. anyway, if you enjoyed please leave a comment!! they make my entire year and melt me so please :* :) expect the next chapter some time before the month is over. thanks for reading <3


	4. but oh, sweet creature

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> last chapter of this mini fic!!! i will continue this series, and do at least a few more mini fic/one-shot type works. if you enjoyed this one and have suggestions for any more, please do leave a comment and give me prompts! i would love to write one of your ideas :))
> 
> the chapter title is taken from the song sweet creature by harry styles. the previous chapter titles were a part of a lyric, and this one completes it.

The next morning, Steve woke up for his early run determined to think of a solution. He normally did his best thinking when he was running, where his mind could wander freely and without restraint. Steve made his way out of the bedroom and penthouse while managing to stay quiet enough that Tony didn't wake.

He started at his normal route and began jogging the familiar loop. Sam was unable to make it today so he was free to think all he wanted on this problem with Peter. He thought back on what Tony had said the night before about a compromise.

He was truly willing to do anything to find a better solution, even if that meant letting his stubborn and prideful nature take a back seat for a moment. He thought about what he knew of the internet, and how oftentimes the most hate Tony, or any of the team really, would receive was from social media.

The vultures would comment nasty things on their tweets or their Instagram posts. It was really worrying to think about Peter receiving the same death threats that they received on a daily basis. Their kid was struggling enough as it is, the last thing he needed was another blow to his self-esteem.

Steve knew that there was an option to make social media accounts private, but Tony advised that as the "celebrities" they were, the team should keep them public because people expected it of them. But surely, they couldn't expect a _kid_ to do the same, right? Even if that kid was Tony Stark's.

Peter would definitely need to be making his accounts private if they weren't already. He would need to regulate every single person that tried to follow him, and Tony and he could screen the accounts for background checks and history as well.

He thought of Tony's twitter and Instagram, and how often he would post promotional videos for Stark Industries on them. If he remembered correctly, there were even a few videos of Tony explaining a precarious situation the Avengers or himself had gotten themselves into.

The videos were always pretty good because Tony was able to regulate the story himself, without anyone being able to twist his words. If the media tried making him seem like the bad guy, it wouldn't work because people had the video to watch themselves, and would make up their own minds about it.

It really was a good tactic, because this way, the press couldn't manipulate the minds of the people as easily. If they saw the video on Tony's account first, their minds would already be made up, with no influence from the press. Obviously, there were publishers that would try to spin his words, but those stories never gained any real speed with Tony's videos because they were so blatantly fake.

The more Steve thought about it, the more the puzzle pieces began to come together. Before long, he had a full and coherent plan that could keep the information about Peter very censored and would keep Peter from being in the spotlight. If what Tony said about keeping his school quiet was true, then this plan would work.

\------------------------

It was 6 in the morning when he got back to the penthouse from his run, and Steve was glad to see his boyfriend was still sleeping. Tony was notoriously bad at getting enough rest so Steve was grateful whenever the man was able to sleep in.

Kicking off his running shoes in the closet, he went to their master bathroom to turn on the shower. After debating and perfecting his possible plan for Peter, Steve was really hoping Tony would agree with it. As far as he could tell, his idea covered all of his own concerns, while still properly introducing Peter to the world.

Stepping into the water, Steve let the warm spray work on his tight muscles. He rolled his shoulders back, closed his eyes and felt his neck relax into the heat of the water. Ever since the ice, and the beauty of having steady access to warm water, Steve decided he never wanted to take another cold shower again.

When he was a boy, they would use fire to heat the bathwater, but it would run cold fairly quick. Hot running water was one development from the new world that Steve would never take for granted. True to his soldier past, he made quick work of cleaning himself and stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his waist.

He decided he would make breakfast for his boys, even if Peter wouldn't get to it for a while. Grabbing clothes from the closet, he changed quickly, trying to stay quiet to allow Tony some more sleep. Tony usually woke up before Peter did, and maybe if the other man agreed with his idea, they could talk to Peter about it at breakfast, and maybe even implement the plan later today.

Of course, that could just be some wishful thinking on his part. Nonetheless, Steve was happy to have thought of a solution to their problem and was hopeful it would pan out. If not for his own sake, for Peter's, as this would definitely be the least stressful option available to him.

Steve cracked a few eggs open into a mixing bowl and poured in vanilla. He was going to make homemade blueberry crumble muffins, one of Tony's and Peter's favorites. It also happened to be one of Bucky's favorites. Maybe he could make some extra and take some over to his friend's apartment later tonight.

Steve hummed at the thought and smiled. He missed Bucky and wished he saw more of him. They both needed to commit to regular visits or Steve would lose it. He depended a lot on the safety and comfort Bucky brought him.

He loved Tony, but there were things that only Bucky would ever be able to understand and that's just how it would be. He lived a whole separate life with Bucky, and the memories he shared with him helped to ground him in a way that nothing else could.

Buck knew his mom, knew his childhood home, knew him before the serum. They would always share that closeness. A small smile crept back onto his face and he shot a quick text to Bucky to see if he would be at his apartment tonight.

He mixed the muffin batter and continued thinking on his plan, waiting patiently for Tony to wake up and come out for breakfast.

\----------------------------

Tony walked into the kitchen to see Steve grabbing something out of the oven.

"Morning, Stevie. What'd you make? Smells good," he sat down at the kitchen counter and watched as Steve set whatever he was holding on the stove.

Steve turned around after pulling out the muffins and walked to the counter to lean against it. He shot Tony a smile as he said, "Blueberry muffins."

"Ohhh I love you so much," Tony closed his eyes and smelled the air dramatically. He smirked when Steve let out an obliging chuckle and said, "They ready yet? Or can I burn my mouth now."

Steve rolled his eyes but couldn't help his smile. "Give them a minute, I just pulled them out." He laughed again when he saw Tony's pout but shielded the muffins from him anyway.

"Fine," Tony jokingly huffed. "How was your run? Did birdman go with you?"

"It was good actually. Sam couldn't come, so it gave me time to think about Peter, and I think I might've come up with something."

Tony perked up at that and leaned forward. "Yeah? Hit me, cap."

"Okay. So you know those videos you make sometimes? The ones where you address the public about new Stark tech, or apologize for something, or explain a situation personally? You post them on Twitter and Instagram."

"Right, yeah," Tony's eyebrows drew together a little in confusion.

"So my strategy is to make one of those videos but to introduce Peter. Hear me out. You could make it by yourself, or I could join you, whichever you prefer, and you just talk about what _we_ want the world to know. We make all the clarifications we need to, and maybe even write a script if we have to. We tell everyone how Peter came into our care, and leave things as vague as we want. Then we make all of Peter's accounts private, but we post one photo of him so people know who he is and that he's not made up." Steve continued when Tony nodded along, letting him finish without interruption.

"You and I can keep track of his accounts and screen whoever wants to follow him, so his life can remain essentially private. One picture of him with you, and that's it. I know there are celebrities out there who keep their kid's private lives very under wraps, and I'm sure we could make this work if we hired the right people. His school could send out those papers, or whatever it is your lawyers cook up, and then that's it. Peter is introduced to the world, he gets to avoid interaction with the press, there are limited photos of him on the internet, and his privacy is mostly preserved." Steve drummed his fingers on the counter nervously waiting for Tony's response.

Tony's eyebrows raised in acknowledgment of everything Steve had said. All things considered, this plan seemed . . . viable. They could say exactly what they wanted, and _only_ what they wanted, without the stress of hundreds of questions thrown at them at a press conference. Peter wouldn't have to speak to them _at all_, which would definitely prove to be a blessing.

Tony slowly blinked, processing everything, before he said, "That . . . that could actually work. There doesn't seem to be any glaring flaws . . . and I can make the school stay quiet about him, yeah, yeah, this could be good," Tony mumbled to himself before looking back up at Steve.

"I'm glad you agree," Steve seemed genuinely eager and sent Tony a cheerful smile. "We could talk to Peter about it when he wakes up?"

"Yeah, yeah. I think Peter might be worried about the whole situation because the kid won't like being the center of attention. He likes to kinda fly under the radar a little, so no matter what we did, he wouldn't like it. But I think he'll appreciate this idea the most. Puts all the load on me," he chuckled.

Tony walked over to the pan of muffins, grabbed two, got a plate, and poured himself some coffee before sitting back down at the counter. Steve followed suit and sat left of Tony at the bar.

"Yeah you'll have to think of what you want to say," Steve seemed contemplative. "I think we just say as little as possible about his background, and focus on how loved he is in his new home. Distract people from worrying too much about his past, and get them to switch their attention to the fact that he's been adopted by you. I really don't want them writing articles about his past, it'll upset him so much."

"Definitely. And thanks to you, he won't have to be on camera at all. He won't have to answer any invasive questions from nosy paps, he'll just have his peers to deal with. Which will be bad enough, but at least we can entirely control what information is out there." Tony nodded determinedly at his own words.

"This was such a great solution, Stevie. You saved mine and Peter's asses. I do shit videos like this all the time, no sweat off my back. I'll call Pepper in a bit and run my script by her, and see if she has any notes, and then if all goes well, we can post it tonight and let things go to shit while we sleep." Tony smirked a bit while biting into his second muffin.

"I'm glad we could figure this out. I hate conflict. Especially with you," he gave Tony a gentle smile and cupped the other man's cheek for a moment before turning back to his food.

"We're a good team, you know. I've got all the brains and the beauty, you've got the brawns," Tony teased, dopey smile smirking at Steve.

Steve rolled his eyes, pushed his shoulder, and laughed. "So when do you think Peter will be waking up?"

"Not for at least 3 hours," Tony laughed softly.

"Oh good. Cause I was thinking we could uh, do some _sleeping_ of our own." A light blush rose to his cheeks but he smirked at Tony nonetheless.

"Hell yeah, Capsicle," Tony laughed, grabbing Steve's hand and pulling him towards their shared bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know this chapter is really short, but i wanted to end it with steve and tony, as they were the main focus, and it just needed them agreeing to their compromise, and that's it, so it ended up being shorter than planned. 
> 
> either way, please leave me a suggestion, critique, prompt, or whatever for the next fics i'll be doing with this series!! let me know your thoughts :) big love to all who have read this and left kudos or comments!! xx


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